


Sanctuary

by In_Dee



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-11-09 05:11:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20848064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/In_Dee/pseuds/In_Dee
Summary: A car explosion in front of an embassy sets things in motion...





	1. Chapter 1

After seeing the car explode, he had fled blindly, scared beyond belief and lost in a flashback that merged with the harsh reality of losing even more people close to him - people who had taken him in and who had cared for and loved him.

It took hours before reason and rational thought resurfaced. When it did, he was curled up in some shady street corner, half hidden behind dumpsters. The streets around him were unfamiliar. He hadn’t learned the lay of the land well during the last few days they had been here.

With the explosion and the loss of lives, there was nothing holding him here anymore and he only knew of one place where the world _might_ make sense again.

It was instinct that guided him from then on.

A trip to the airport.

The purchase of a ticket.

Getting onboard the plane.

There had been a lot of flights within the last few years so he knew how to behave in a setting like that. He hoped he would be able to blend in and remain inconspicuous, hoped that no one would question his presence or the validity of him traveling alone. He wasn’t sure what he would do if he were to be stopped and questioned.

Taking his seat, he instantly turned to face the window. Only then did he allow the tears to fall, grieving for what he had lost… now and back then. Emptiness settled over him; his family was gone. He still remembered that feeling, having felt it years ago when he had lost his brother. He had been caught then, a new family materializing out of nowhere, cushioning his fall.

That wouldn’t happen this time. There was no one left of his family. Just one man remained, a man who was unrelated to him but who had reached out to him during the darkest hours, a man who had first caught his fall and who he felt safe with.

He squeezed his eyes shut and curled in on himself, leaning his head against the interior wall of the plane. Reaching up to wipe the tears of loss and pain away, he fought to keep himself together.

Pretending to be asleep, he was left alone by his fellow passengers and the flight attendants. When they descended on LAX nearly eight hours later, he felt no closer to clarity or calmness than he had before, even though he knew he was closer to where he needed to be to allow himself to fall apart and be caught.

Fearing customs checks, but hoping they wouldn’t look too closely at him due to the nature of his passport, he waited in line, shuffling forward, leaving his past behind with every additional minute, every step he took. He felt raw and out of sorts, out of touch with himself and reality. Around him, people went about their daily business, while his own world had imploded and he was floundering, refusing to reach out until he met with the one he knew would be able to catch his fall and - if not make things alright, at least provide shelter and comfort.

Breathing a sigh of relief when he was waved through customs without questions, he quickly left the airport.

He still remembered where he had to go. He hoped nothing about the location had changed since he had last been there.

The cabby watched him somewhat warily until he held up the credit card that had brought him here in the first place. Afterwards, the man was courteous and cheerful, if asking too many questions. He offered grunts or silences in return and eventually the man got the hint that he didn’t want to talk about why he was in Los Angeles or what he was planning to do.

The cabby let him out in front of the Aquatic Center as asked. He waited until the car was gone before he turned and walked back towards the boatshed. It was mid morning, but he hoped he would find the man his subconscious had brought him here for. And if he weren’t there, he was sure he would appear soon… as soon as he knew about his presence.

At lest he hoped so.

He needed him just as badly now as he had needed him years ago.

Swallowing the sob, his steps fell faster and faster until was running the last of the way, despair and pain tumbling through him and urging him on. His vision started blurring as tears swam in his eyes.

He just wanted to go home… to his family.

But they were gone.

He barely stopped to open the door before he barreled into the boatshed… only to backpedal and skid to a stop when three guns were leveled at him, the sound of safeties clicking off loud even over the rushing of blood in his ears.

Still, his eyes honed in on the man he had come for, the only one he had ever felt safe with aside of his family. “Grisha,” he sobbed, tears now falling in earnest.


	2. Chapter 2

Things happened fast.

One moment, they were watching Sam on the monitor while he interviewed their suspect, the next all three of them had their guns out and were turned towards the entrance.

They weren’t expecting company and therefore anyone entering the boatshed was considered a potential hostile and met with suspicion. Sometimes it paid to shoot first and ask questions later.

It took a split second for him to identify their visitor and he immediately let his gun sink down, motioning for Kensi and Deeks to do the same.

The young man standing in the entrance was somewhat disheveled, but what worried him even more than the tears streaming down his cheeks was the completely lost look in his eyes. Even during the darkest hour back when he had first met him, he hadn’t seen that look of complete hopelessness in the boy’s eyes. There had always been a spark of strength and faith in him.

“Nadir?” he murmured softly. He barely had a moment to slide his gun into the holster at the back of his jeans before the body of the fifteen year old crashed into him. Callen didn’t hesitate before bringing his arms up and around the boy that was clinging to him, his face buried into his chest as tears seeped into his shirt.

Behind him, Kensi and Deeks were motionless, the whole boatshed suddenly silent aside of the quiet cries of despair that fell from the teen’s lips and the soft murmur of Sam’s voice coming from the monitor.

Callen cradled the boy’s head in his hand, gently holding him against his body as he cried, trying to offer whatever comfort Nadir needed. He murmured gentle words of comfort, not trying to shush him, instead letting him express all the despair that obviously needed to pour out.

He didn’t know why Nadir was here, what had brought the young Israeli back to LA, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. Answers would have to wait though. He didn’t think Nadir was ready to speak yet, not if the storm of emotions was as strong and devastating as it seemed to be.

Nadir had gone through some pretty dark and stressful times in his short life already, had lost the one brother he had grown up with in a suicide bombing orchestrated by people who had taken them in at a young age and filled their heads with lies. He had grown up isolated from the world and in the firm belief that his parents had abandoned him and his brother at birth.

The truth had been quite different:

His parents hadn’t been able to conceive and had gone to a fertility clinic in India only to end up with a doctor with questionable morals. The surrogate had carried triplets but only one of the boys had been handed over to the Israeli couple who remained unaware of the presence of the other two babies. Nadir and Karim had drawn the short straw and had been brought up by a terrorist group intent on using them as suicide bombers on US soil.

The team had met Nadir shortly after Karim’s bomb vest had exploded. It had taken some finesse to convince Nadir of their honesty when they told him he had family, getting his agreement to have them take his own bomb vest off to survive and meet with his rightful family.

Callen himself had been the one to stay with the boy until his parents and his other brother Tomar came to fetch him from the very boatshed they were currently standing in.

He had felt a strong connection with Nadir right away, part of it stemming from having lost his family early as well, from being unwanted and from drifting through life under the questionable guidance of adults that didn’t always have his best interest at heart.

He had remained in more or less regular contact with the boy in the three years since he had met him, had even visited him once in Tel Aviv after completing a mission for NCIS overseas.

The fact that the teen was here now sparked worry in Callen. For the moment though, he would wait until the storm of emotions had passed and Nadir would be able to talk.

Keeping the boy securely against his body, talking quietly to him, he waited, unconcerned by his teammates’ stares he could feel burning into his back.

Xxxxxxx

Eventually, Sam joined the rest of the team in the main room. All his team mates remained quiet behind them, granting them space. They were unable to duck out of the boatshed to give them more privacy since Callen and Nadir stood in the entrance to the hallway that was leading outside. Instead, Sam, Deeks and Kensi milled around the main table, waiting.

Callen considered moving Nadir into one of the empty rooms or even just over to the couch, but somehow remained rooted to the spot, not wanting to withdraw from the boy who clung so desperately to him. Instead, he held his ground, trying to provide an anchor for the distraught teen.

It took a long time before Nadir finally shifted in his arms, withdrawing slightly from him. Callen released his hold but kept a hand on Nadir’s shoulder when the boy took a step back. He ducked his head down, trying to catch the teen’s eyes. “Nadir?” he asked, a gentle prompt as to why he was here.

The teen glanced up, his eyes filling up again. “They are all dead,” he whispered before squeezing his eyes shut, his whole body trembling.

Callen bit back the stunned questions, instead drew the boy back against him, once more providing shelter. Questions were tumbling around in his head and he knew they would need answers soon, but Nadir’s emotional wellbeing needed to be taken into account first.

Without releasing his hold on the teen, he now started moving them towards the couch, guiding the boy to sit and following him down.

A few minutes later, Nadir heaved a breath before straightening away from him again, reaching up to wipe at his face. Still, his posture remained hunched over, equal parts exhausted, scared and forlorn. He looked to be at the end of his rope.

Callen reached out and put a hand under his chin, tilting his head up. “Are you hurt?” he asked, relieved when Nadir shook his head. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“They died,” the boy repeated hoarsely, his voice empty as his focus turned inwards.

“Who?” Callen prompted, already fearing he knew the answer.

“My mother… my father… my brother,” the words fell from the boy’s lips, a pause between each person, his voice wobbling and breaking.

Callen glanced up at his team, making eye contact with Sam and giving a wordless command. Sam nodded and quietly left the room. It was time to start looking into why Nadir was here, what had prompted the boy to run and wind up here in Los Angeles.

Deeks approached them a few moments later, a bottle of water in his hand that he put down in front of Nadir.

The boy stared vacantly at the bottle, seemingly unaware of what was happening around him in this moment as his vision was lost in the distance. Callen reached for the bottle and unscrewed the cap, gently pressing the bottle into Nadir’s hand. It was enough to prompt the boy into taking a sip, more an unconscious muscle memory rather than a conscious decision to drink.

They needed answers, but Callen felt that Nadir was currently unable to provide them, deeply traumatized by whatever had happened to him and his family.

The only thing he could do for the moment was provide a stable hold for the boy and try to get him to rest. Callen leaned back into the couch and drew Nadir against him once more. The boy practically fell against him and curled into his side, gratefully accepting the shelter he offered. “Rest, Nadir. You’re safe here,” he murmured.

Xxxxxxx

Callen carefully untangled himself from Nadir. The boy had fallen asleep against him within a short time, exhaustion overtaking him and granting him a reprieve from the upheaval.

With his fifteen years, Nadir was not the small boy from three years ago anymore. He had grown a lot, had thrived in his new family, but right now, he was thrown back in his years, insecure and scared, seemingly smaller than he should be.

Picking up the blanket from the foot of the couch and carefully spreading it over the boy, he straightened and quietly made his way over to where the others stood.

“What did you find out?” he asked Sam who had returned inside minutes ago. His partner’s stance let him know that he had some news to share.

“Nadir landed at LAX only two hours ago. Came from Bogotá, Colombia,” Sam started softly, glancing over to the sleeping teen, “he used the diplomatic passport his family has been granted due to his father’s position.”

“His family?” Callen queried, half afraid to ask.

“Missing,” Sam gave back slowly, once more glancing over to where Nadir lay.

Callen followed his partner’s glance, reassuring himself the teen was still asleep. “Missing? He said…” Callen asked from clarification but Sam shook his head and thereby interrupted his question. Before he could go on though, the monitor behind them blinked and Eric and Nell appeared on the screen.

Both techs’ eyes shifted past the team and over to where they would be able to see Nadir sleeping on the couch. “This footage has been taken in front of the Israeli embassy in Bogotá yesterday,” Nell stated softly and Eric started the video material they had uncovered.

All of them shifted closer to the screen, thereby also blocking Nadir’s line of sight should he wake up. No one wanted him to relieve on the screen whatever had traumatized him in reality.

Several people left the Embassy and took the stairs down to street level where a car was waiting. They could all easily identify Rachel and David Zahavi as well as both Tomar and Nadir. Walking with them were two more men. The family appeared to be familiar with them, their postures easygoing and open.

One of the boys - presumably Nadir, considering he wore the same clothes as the boy on the couch behind them - suddenly stopped and grimaced, turning to his mother and exchanging several words with her. She gave him an indulgent smile and a nod upon which the boy headed back inside, taking the stairs two at a time.

After he had reentered the building, the group of people stood in front of the waiting cars, conversing. Not quite another minute later, they looked up just as several SUVs appeared on the screen, screeching to a halt. Within moments, the group was surrounded by masked and armed men who urged them over to the SUVs. They were forced to enter the vehicles while two of the masked men stepped over to the embassy vehicles and put something beneath.

The remaining two men hastened over to the waiting SUVs, jumping inside while armed embassy personnel started heading out of the building, firing upon the fleeing vehicles. Only moments later, the embassy cars exploded, the force of the detonation throwing the guards back.

On top of the stairs, at the entrance of the building, Nadir had skidded to a stop, his eyes wide and terrified as he took in the carnage.

Eric and Nell reappeared on screen. “Nadir ran away from the embassy after that. We weren’t able to follow him since we don’t have access to the camera system in Bogotá but even if we did, we probably would have lost him quickly, as their system is not comparable to our spread,” Eric shrugged.

Silence settled around them.

“Jesus,” Deeks muttered. He glanced at Kensi and saw the same shock reflected in her eyes. Three years ago, they had both been in Ops and had reviewed the footage of another explosion - another explosion Nadir had witnessed. That explosion had taken Karim’s life, the only brother he had known at that point in his life. “No wonder he thinks they’re dead.”

Kensi glanced over to the sleeping boy. “That must have been one powerful flashback.”

Callen nodded. That boy had endured enough in his life and to see the stability and happiness he had found ripped away… it pulled at old wounds and scar tissue he himself kept hidden. Still, he forced his own emotions away. This didn’t revolve around him. He needed to keep himself in check so he could be of help to the boy.

Taking a deep breath, he made a conscious effort to relax his shoulders before he turned his mind to what they could do. “How far are the Colombian police or the Israeli government to finding his family and their associates?”

“Officially, we have no access to the files,” Eric hedged.

Callen simply waited, an eyebrow arched and Eric didn’t disappoint.

“So far: no ransom demands have been issued, no proof of life, no contact at all. There’s nothing in the files that suggest they know where they have been taken to,” Eric surmised.

“Find out who got taken along with the Zahavi family, see if you can make connections to enemies,” Callen directed, “try to find out whatever you can about the SUVs they used.”

Just then, Hetty came into view behind the wonder twins. “Stand down, everyone. This is not our case,” she stated.

Callen straightened, “Hetty,” he started to argue, but their operations manager shook her.

“I know, Mr. Callen,” she said, regret in her voice, “but this is not our jurisdiction. I will contact the Israeli government to offer our services but if they refuse, we will take no action,” she told them firmly. “Take care of the boy for now and finish your ongoing case until we have word from Israel.”

Callen sighed and turned away from the monitor, rubbing a hand down his face. It felt wrong to leave things like that, but he knew Hetty was right. He didn’t like it, but he knew there was no arguing with Hetty over this. Over the years, he had learned just when he could get away with arguing or bending the rules… her expression and the tone of voice let him know that now wasn’t the time. And truthfully, this was far out of their jurisdiction. This was an attack against an Israeli diplomat, his family and their associates and it would therefore be handled by Israeli authorities. The Mossad didn’t take kindly to anyone stepping on their toes and muscling their way into their cases. Just because his team had ties to Nadir, it didn’t mean they could force their way into this. For the moment, they could only keep Nadir safe.

Sam clapped a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You should let Nadir know about his family,” he said softly.

He wasn’t sure if a kidnapping in a foreign country was so much better news. At the moment no one knew if his family was still alive. Then again, at least he would know that the explosion he had witnessed hadn’t killed his family.

And if whoever had taken the Zahavi family wanted them dead, they would have been killed right in front of the embassy’s doors. There had been no need to take them hostage. In some South American countries - Colombia included - abductions were rather common. Some were for political reasons, others just a quick way to make money. The fact that five people had been taken hostage in this scenario and the fact that they were diplomats suggested that this plot was for political reasons.

Callen took a deep breath and turned back to his team. “Alright, Deeks, Kensi, hand our suspect over to LAPD and let them deal with him,” he ordered, watching them nod before collecting their suspect and leaving the boatshed. He glanced back at the wonder twins on the monitor, “Eric, Nell, how far are you with your analysis of the offshore accounts?”

He listened to what the techs had found out and forced himself to concentrate on what needed to be done. Afterwards, Sam left to make contact with one of his old SEAL buddies, hoping to get some more information via back-channels. Usually, Callen would tag along, but his place was by Nadir’s side for now, his attention split between directing his team and taking care of his charge. Usually SEALs were more open with each other if there was no outsider around, so hopefully, his absence might not even be a bad thing.

Still, he hoped they could close that case swiftly. He didn’t want his focus split, and he knew there was no one else that Nadir would feel comfortable and safe with. The boy had connected with him three years ago and in his current situation, he would need that basis of trust more than anything else.

Xxxxxxx

He had watched the footage Nell and Eric had uncovered a few more times. Even though this wasn’t their case - and probably would never be their case - he somehow felt like he had to see if he could find any information that could be of help to the Israeli agents that would work the case.

Callen glanced up when he noticed Nadir becoming more restless, twitching in his sleep.

He stood and quietly moved over to the boy, sitting down on the table in front of the couch and gently drawing a hand through Nadir’s hair. “It’s alright, Nadir. You’re safe,” he told him softly, smiling slightly when the boy seemed to settle back down.

Callen sighed, hoping Nadir could rest some more. The emotional upheaval had taken its toll on the teen.

Before he could stand and return to the main table and the laptop he had left there, Nadir suddenly bolted upright, his eyes wide as he glanced around, trying to re-orient himself. When his eyes fell on Callen, his expression crumbled, tears once more entering his eyes.

Callen shook his head and shifted, “no, Nadir,” he called softly but firmly, hoping to get the boy’s attention. “Nadir, listen to me. Your family is alive,” he stated calmly.

Nadir whimpered but shook his head, his eyes squeezed shut.

Callen reached forward and cradled the boy’s head between his hands. “Nadir,” he called once more, “look at me.”

It took a minute before Nadir’s eyes opened and his gaze flickered over to Callen.

He gave him a small and sad smile, but held the boy’s gaze, “have I ever lied to you?”

There was a miniature shake of Nadir’s head that he more felt through his hold than saw. “Then believe me when I tell you that the explosion you saw didn’t kill your family.”

He watched the words penetrate Nadir’s brain, watched them slowly sink in and the boy straightened a little, some spark of hope entering his eyes. Callen prayed he would be able to hold onto that hope and that it wouldn’t be doused by whatever happened from now on.

“Where are they?” Nadir asked, his voice wobbling. Judging by the fact that the hope in his eyes was cautious, Callen suspected that Nadir knew not all was well. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

He sighed softly, briefly looking away from Nadir before returning his gaze to meet with Nadir’s. “Your family is missing. They have been taken by armed men and were forced into some cars that took them away from the embassy. The embassy cars were rigged to explode. What you saw happened _after_ they were taken away. They were _not_ harmed in the explosion.”

Nadir watched him while he relayed what they had found out, his eyes taking in his expression and Callen held his gaze, letting Nadir look, letting Nadir find the truth in his expression. A moment later the boy exhaled slowly, obviously believing Callen. His hands started shaking moments later and Nadir pressed them together and locked them between his knees.

Callen let go of the boy’s head, drawing a hand through his hair as he stood from his perch in front of the teen. He felt he needed to give him some space to come to grips with the new information on his own. He wouldn’t go far, but would give him a few moments.

Callen glanced up when the door to the boatshed opened, tilting his head to the side when Hetty stood in the doorway. A man stepped inside behind her. Dressed in a suit, well kempt, dark hair and dark eyes.

Callen watched them enter, shifting so he stood between the newcomer and Nadir, shielding the boy.

“Mr. Callen, meet Nathaniel Zusman,” Hetty introduced, “he was sent from the Israeli Consulate.”

The handshake was firm, while both men took each other’s measure. “Agent Callen,” Zusman acknowledged before his gaze shifted to the boy behind him, “I’ve been asked to collect Nadir.”

Callen’s eyes narrowed and he briefly glanced over to Hetty who was watching him calmly. He returned his attention back to the man in front of him, “by who?”

Zusman arched an eyebrow, his gaze hardening slightly. “Nadir Zahavi is an Israeli citizen. He is underage and as such he falls under our purview. On top of that, he is a witness to his families’ abduction and could give us valuable information.”

While Callen didn’t exactly like the man’s tone, what he said was true. Still, he wouldn’t allow Nadir to leave with the man without a fight. Nadir had come to them, to him, looking for shelter and stability with someone he trusted and Callen wouldn’t let some Israeli hotshot cut Nadir off from that. “You are welcome to question Nadir as to what he saw here in this room with me present,” he stated calmly.

“We will take it from here,” Zusman gave back and turned his eyes away from Callen and over to the boy, “Nadir, come with me.”

He felt the anger flood him. Callen didn’t take kindly to being dismissed like that and he especially didn’t take kindly to it in this situation when his charge was Nadir. Therefore, he drew himself up to his full height. “With all due respect, Mr. Zusman, Nadir witnessed an explosion he thought had taken out his whole family. He could have run back inside of the embassy. Instead he came here because this place is familiar to him and he felt we could help him. I will not allow you to cut him off from that by letting you leave with him.”

“That isn’t your decision to make,” Zusman stated. His gaze left Callen and he glanced at Hetty, “take your boy on a leash, Miss Lange.”

Callen barely bit back on the growl and instead stepped forward, taking the man by the arm and leading him into the hallway, away from Nadir and away from Hetty, “do you even know anything about Nadir? Anything about what he went through?”

“Stand down, Agent Callen.”

Hetty’s voice behind him was firm, leaving no room for argument and he found himself obeying, his fingers opening their grip as he stepped back. He didn’t break eye contact though, his eyes blazing with fury.

“I’m sure Mr. Zusman will graciously agree to talk to Nadir here in our presence as you suggested earlier… given enough incentive,” she said evenly and Callen felt a small smirk break out on his lips, a wave to calmness spreading through him.

“I think I made myself clear,” Zusman said and started forward.

Hetty shifted in the doorway, not blocking the man’s way but making his attention snap back to her, “I don’t think _I_ made myself clear yet,” Hetty stated mildly, “does your employer know of your gambling habits? Does your wife know? Or of the debt of 25k that you’re considering paying back by not quite so legal means?”

Zusman stepped back as if slapped and Callen relaxed, leaning back against the wall while he watched this. He would have to remember thanking the wonder twins later as he was sure that they were currently feeding Hetty information. He considered slipping his earwig in and listening on.

Zusman cleared his throat slightly and gave Hetty a small hateful smile. “I guess I could have a first talk with Nadir here and we can play it by ear.”

Hetty smiled back, a wide smile that didn’t mask the threat she had laid down, “excellent.”

Callen shoved away from the wall and returned to the main room where Nadir sat, wringing his hands, obviously worried. He gave the teen a small smile and moved over to the kitchenette, offering a quiet “don’t worry, you’re not going anywhere,” as he passed Nadir. Nadir exhaled in relief and some stress fell from his shoulders.

Callen busied himself with making coffee and tea. Just because he didn’t like the man, or because they had strong-armed him into conceding to their demands didn’t mean they had to be bad hosts. He had grown up with Hetty after all and no matter how little she liked someone, she was always a gracious host… until she filleted someone with a rusty butter knife that was.

Xxxxxxx

He could see the weight of exhaustion and mental anguish in Nadir when Zusman finally left the boatshed.

Nadir had walked them through what had happened. His family had gone to Bogotá on some diplomatic visit. His father had already met with several people during the days before. The plan had been to go to some coast town for a few days for some vacation with the family. His father and his associated also planned to prepare for some negotiations that were supposed to go down when they returned to Bogotá. Nadir had forgotten something inside the embassy so he had gone back to fetch it. When he came back outside, he saw the explosion and had fled blindly, believing his family to be dead.

Zusman hadn’t been exactly helpful with his questions nor his evasive answers that they were doing all they could to rescue the Zahavi family and their associates.

Callen was glad when the man left. He was even more relieved when the man didn’t try to get Nadir to come with him.

Xxxxxxx

Hetty had left the boatshed shortly after Zusman, leaving Callen alone with Nadir. He tried to engage the teen in conversation, tried to distract him, but it was difficult. Nadir’s thoughts were elsewhere. Eventually, Callen let the silence fall around them, remaining a quiet presence, but leaving Nadir to his own thoughts.

He instead checked in with Eric and Nell about the state of their investigation, glad to hear that his team mates had managed to close the case without further input needed from him. It meant that he didn’t have to try and split his attention anymore.

Half an hour later, the boatshed grew noisy when the whole team trooped inside with a late lunch, food being passed around, conversation and teasing banter filling the space. They sometimes managed to include Nadir, but also knew when to grant him space. Still, Callen could see the boy relaxing a little bit. While he knew Callen best, he had also made a connection to Sam back in that water tank three years ago. Kensi and Deeks were less well known to him, but Deeks’ easygoing attitude managed to draw the boy out of his mood and into the Detective’s orbit. The man had a way with kids that Callen sometimes admired. Eric and Nell also managed to interact well with Nadir, even though they were unknown to the boy.

Callen excused himself when his phone rang, Hetty’s name on the display.

“Hey Hetty,” he greeted once he had left the boatshed, stepping outside for privacy.

“A heads-up Mr. Callen. The Israeli Consulate has informed me of their intention of sending another representative over to the boatshed.”

Callen clenched his jaw. “Shall I ask Eric and Nell to dig up dirt on this one? Thanks for that, by the way.”

He could _hear_ Hetty’s smile. “You’re most welcome, Mr. Callen. But no, I don’t think that will be necessary. If I’m not mistaken, you know the representative they will be sending. A Mr…”

Callen turned when he heard footsteps approaching, his eyes falling onto the man making his way over. “Selman,” he finished Hetty’s sentence, recognizing the man. He had worked with Elias Selman years ago in an international taskforce.

“Right,” Hetty agreed. “I take it, he arrived?”

“Yes, he’s here right now. I’ll call you back, Hetty.” He hung up once Hetty gave an affirmative. Callen put his cell into his pocket and made his way over to where Elias Selman was patiently waiting. “Elias,” he greeted with a small smile, stretching out his hand.

The other man took it, their handshake firm and respectful. “Callen,” he gave back in greeting, his voice warm and smooth. The man had always been able to smooth-talk anyone into doing what he wanted. He just hoped Elias wouldn’t try it out on him.

“I hear you have taken a young Israeli under your wing. The son of one of our diplomats…” Selman let the sentence hang.

Callen nodded once, seeing no need to lie about it. “He came here for shelter, Elias. We’ve met before on a case here in LA and he trusts me. He’s witnessed what he thought was his family’s death. I know it’s within your rights to take him with you, but please, Elias, he’s a traumatized boy. He needs to feel safe somewhere. Don’t take that away from him.” He knew he was probably asking for a lot, also knew he would consider begging for Nadir’s sake.

“Mr. Zusman wasn’t really impressed with how you guys handled his… visit… today,” Elias said slowly.

Callen shifted in place, ready to speak up when the other man grinned. “I’ve never liked the pompous ass. If you could tell me what you have over him, I would be most thankful.”

Callen laughed softly, relaxing a little bit. He got the impression that Elias would go about this a different way… a way that would be helpful to Nadir.

“I’ve read the file we have on Nadir. Quite some background story,” Elias sighed and turned to the water.

Callen followed and they both leaned against the railing outside of the boatshed.

“You and I both know the importance of stability,” Elias said softly, “especially in crisis.”

Callen folded his hands, his forearms lying on the railing, his eyes lost in the distance. Both Elias and he had grown up in foster care as they had found out during their time in the task force. They had connected over that. Callen hadn’t yet planned on using that particular ammunition to keep Nadir close, but he would have reminded Elias of it, if necessary. The way Elias brought it up though, relaxed the knot inside of him. He had found an ally in Elias and they would make sure to have Nadir’s best interest in mind.

“What he saw yesterday threw him. It would have had devastating effects on any fifteen year old, but with his past…” Callen glanced down at his hands briefly, “he watched his brother Karim die in an explosion three years ago. When he came here today, he was devastated. I have no idea how he managed to keep it together long enough to find his way here, but he did, because he felt safe here.”

“I’ve cleared it with the Consulate that he will remain with you if that’s what Nadir wants,” Elias said gently and Callen sighed in relief.

“Thanks, Elias,” Callen said softly, glancing over at the other man who watched with a smile.

“You seem to be quite taken with the boy. The G. Callen I remember from back then wouldn’t have known what to do with a kid,” the Israeli teased and Callen laughed softly but didn’t reply. Elias sobered and straightened a little, “I’ve been informed by our Agents in Bogotá about the state of things.”

Callen too, straightened away from the railing and mentally got back to business.

“It seems to be a grab for money, Colombian style.”

“Abduction for money?” Callen asked and Elias nodded.

“Usually business men get taken hostage for money. The company pays and their personnel get released. Not sure why they thought diplomats were a good target. Maybe they just saw the chance and took it,” Elias shrugged.

“Risky,” Callen noted and the other man agreed with a nod. “What are you going to do?” Just as the American government, Israel wouldn’t negotiate with what would be perceived as terrorists. It made the Zahavi family’s position dangerous.

Elias glanced around somewhat furtively. “We have a team preparing an extraction… but you didn’t hear that from me.”

Callen looked blankly at the other man. “Hear what?” They shared another grin. Callen let the silence fall for just a moment before he spoke once more. “If you need any help, Intel we can provide, I’m sure we can give it to you.”

Elias smiled slightly and stretched out his hand, waiting for Callen to shake it. “I appreciate the offer and I’m sure we would be glad to accept if the need arose.”

A gentle dismissal, without closing the door in his face. Callen nodded in acceptance. This was Israel’s purview and they were to keep out of it until told otherwise. “You want to talk to Nadir?”

“Just a brief conversation to make sure he wants to remain with you - of which I have no doubt, but the paper pushers will want to cover their asses,” Elias said, rolling his eyes.

Xxxxxxx

Elias stopped by every day, checking in with Callen and Nadir, and bringing Callen up to speed on the state of things.

An extraction had been delayed so far because the hostages had been moved around a lot and dragged into the dense rain forest.

It took three days to recover their trail.

Eventually, Israel graciously accepted the help OSP had offered, Eric and Nell sifting through Intel and providing satellite data once a location had been pinpointed. The team had offered to head to Bogotá as well and mesh with the Mossad team on the ground. That particular offer had been declined and while Callen would have liked to have a more hands-on approach, he also knew it was for the best.

Nadir had remained tentatively hopeful, even if he was scared for his family’s fate. He had been accepted into the team and everyone tried to help him in whatever way they could. The tension that didn’t fully leave the teen spoke volumes about his fears, but he was doing as well as he could. Nightmares were frequent, and Callen had woken him more than once, distracting him afterwards and dragging him out into the night for a run to physically exhaust him or taking him for a ride up or down the coast when he felt the boy needed time to calm his thoughts. So far it had worked reasonably well.

They were in the gym, playing basketball when Nell appeared in the entrance and called out to him. “Callen. We need you up in Ops,” she told him firmly.

He passed the ball to Sam and also glanced briefly in Nadir’s direction. “Don’t lose our lead while I’m gone.”

“What lead?” Deeks cried, “I’m perfectly sure we’re currently ahead of you.”

“In what universe?” Sam laughed, throwing the ball over to Nadir when Deeks was distracted. Nadir easily caught the ball and launched it at the hoop, whooping when the ball fell through the net.

Callen smiled slightly and then followed after Nell. They climbed the stairs to Ops together. Hetty turned when they entered before refocusing on the main screen.

“Courtesy of our Israeli friends,” Hetty nodded her head to the screen.

Callen straightened and focused his attention on the screen as well. He took in the feed from a body camera. Trees and more trees as the person moved slowly and cautiously, weapon held out in front. Hand signals were being passed to several other persons on either side. In a smaller window in the upper left corner, a satellite view was overlaid with thermal pictures, twelve red dots approaching on a building from several directions. There were several heat signatures inside the building, mostly clustered together. Four more red dots remained stationary at compass positions around the target area; overwatch positions. He glanced back at the body cam, watching the men spread out to surround the building.

The ensuing fight was brutal but relatively short, the Colombian hostage takers outnumbered and no match against the well trained Mossad agents.

They watched as the hostages were secured and Callen allowed his eyes to wander over the Zahavi family, taking in their expressions and postures. He could see fear and exhaustion, as well as relief.

Eric and Nell had managed to get audio access into the mission, and Callen sighed in relief when the team on the ground relayed that all hostages were alive and unhurt.

All of them relaxed and they shared some smiles. Hetty turned to him. “I’ve been informed beforehand that Nadir’s family would be brought here to Los Angeles in case of a successful rescue, seeing that Nadir is here as well. I don’t know yet how soon they will be brought out of Colombia, but I guess we will be notified. In the meantime, maybe you should give Nadir the good news?”

Callen gave his mentor a smile. As always, Hetty had her fingers on the pulse of whatever was going on. As so often, he was grateful for her resourcefulness. “Gladly,” Callen agreed before he left Ops to return to the gym. The game was still going strong, Nadir and Sam playing well together even if Deeks and Kensi were giving them a run for their money.

Callen stepped inside, “hey, Nadir,” he called, remaining where he was and waiting until the boy came over. He caught his partner’s eyes over Nadir’s head and gave Sam a nod and a smile, seeing the non-spoken words register in the smile Sam sent back. The team had been briefed beforehand about the planned extraction attempt and they had decided to keep it from Nadir and distract him with a game. All of them had known why he had been called up to Ops and had continued their charade with Nadir.

When he returned his attention to Nadir, the teen stood in front of him, a guarded expression on his features. “Your family is safe,” he told him without preamble. He watched multiple emotions flicker through Nadir’s eyes before he started to shake. Callen drew the boy forward, holding him while relief and adrenaline tore through his body. “They are free, Nadir, and on first glance, they aren’t injured. They will be checked and when they are cleared for travel they will be brought here. You’ll be with them again soon.”

Xxxxxxx

It was different and yet similar to three years ago. Nadir sat beside him, wringing his hands nervously. This time, they weren’t inside the boatshed though and Nadir’s nerves were not from fearing he wouldn’t be wanted by his family but it was nervous anticipation running through him, wishing away the time until the private jet touched down and he would be reunited with his family once more.

Callen reached over and put a hand on top of Nadir’s, smiling slightly when the boy glanced up and met his gaze.

“Just a few more minutes,” he reassured the boy, and Nadir nodded shakily.

“The jet is on the final approach. They’ll touch down within minutes,” Nell’s voice came through the earwig he had taken along. He didn’t exactly think they were cleared to check on the state of things, had the feeling this might just fall under the ‘_misuse of government resources_’, but he was glad for the info.

“Thanks, Nell,” he gave back before Callen reached for the door handle and got out of the car.

Nadir instantly scrambled out after him. The boy stepped beside him, their arms touching as they watched the jet touch down and then leave the runway to approach on them.

Nadir was vibrating with the barely held back need to move. Callen kept a hand on his shoulder to reign him back in if necessary.

It took only a few more moments until the jet came to a stop in front of them and several more moments before the door was open. Tomar was the first one who appeared in the doorway, followed by his parents.

Callen let go of Nadir then, smiling when the boy shot forward, meeting his brother half way. Their parents were just a few steps after them and the family drew close together, clinging to each other.

“Happy ending,” Elias spoke up behind him. Callen glanced over briefly. He had heard the man approach before he spoke up, therefore wasn’t surprised by his appearance. He was used to Hetty sneaking up on them and no one held a candle against Hetty in that department.

“Yeah. They deserve a happy ending,” Callen agreed, leaning against the car in his back with Elias next to him, both content to watch the family reunion.

**Author's Note:**

> Anyone want to take a guess at who just stumbled into the boatshed? A hint: the character's birthday is coming up in a few days :p


End file.
